After months of long, dark and cold days, the glisten of golden daffodils heralds the imminent arrival of spring and offers a sign of warmer, brighter days on the horizon.
National Trust Cymru has already spotted daffodils appearing in the woodlands, gardens, and parklands it cares for across Wales where show stopping displays are preparing to bloom – just in time for Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant or ‘St David’s Day’.
Blooming mainly throughout March and April, the daffodil is synonymous with Wales and most associated with the celebration of St David’s Day on March 1, a special day in the Welsh calendar honouring the patron saint, St David or Dewi Sant.
There are many stories about how the daffodil became one of Wales’s most famous National emblems, but it’s believed to have all started with the humble leek. During battle, St David, patron saint of Wales, advised his warriors to wear a leek so they could be distinguished from their enemies, the Saxons.
Today, both emblems are worn on March 1, and the connection between them may lie in the Welsh language as leek is ‘cenhinen’, while daffodil is ‘cenhinen Pedr’ or ‘cennin Pedr’.
Here are National Trust Cymru’s best spots to enjoy daffodil displays this spring.
NORTH WALES
Bodnant Garden, Conwy
Nothing signals the start of spring quite like the daffodil, and at Bodnant Garden, hundreds of thousands of daffodil bulbs have been planted by generations of gardeners since the 1920s and 1930s. The best displays can be found in March and April when the Old Park meadow and grassy Glades are transformed into a golden carpet of yellow as far as the eye can see.
Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Bangor
The vast grounds of the early 19th century Penrhyn Castle get a new lease of life in the springtime as daffodils begin to bloom. The largest display can be seen along the wooded areas and to the front and side of the castle in front of the Keep. There are 30 varieties to enjoy, flowering in their hundreds between March and April. It’s well worth a return visit to see all the different types taking their moment to shine throughout the season.
Plas Newydd, Ynys Mon (Anglesey)
The arboretum at Plas Newydd on the banks of the Menai Strait is awash with the golden glow of daffodils, a breathtaking celebration of spring’s arrival. This vibrant display, the result of the garden team’s care and skill in planting 5,000 bulbs last winter, is a joy to behold. The daffodils are expected to be at their best by around mid-March.
Photos: (1) Spring at Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Bangor North Wales. National Trust Images Annapurna Mellor (2) Carpet of daffodils at Bodnant Garden ©National Trust Images Derek Hatton.
